True Miraculous Night
by ImperialOtaku
Summary: It's Marinette's final year at the University and Alya is dragging her along to participate in one of the schools traditions. How will things end up as she meets and kisses a stranger for the first time? Will they part ways forever or could this be the start of something? Lots of Adrinette and some DJWifi. University!AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Deal

True "Miraculous" Night

 **(AN): Greetings all! This is my first fanfiction so sorry if it kinda sucks. Basically, I got this idea after watching the tradition that happens at my university and most of it will be explained as the story goes on. If I need to though I'll explain anything else in another author note. Don't know how long I'll make this but that will depend on a few things. So, I hope you'll all enjoy this as it goes along. Also as a disclaimer I am just a huge fan of the series and do not own anything.**

Chapter 1

"No.."

"Come on girl, please?"

"No Alya I'm not going."

"Mari listen to me, you're graduating this year, this is a school tradition so why don't you live a little?"

"Because I don't want to kiss a random stranger in front of a giant crowd!"

Why did the tradition even exist? It seemed pretty cliché to Marinette. Kiss someone on a special podium in the middle of campus under the light of the full moon and you can call yourself "A True Panther." It felt like all she would get out of it was the small piece of paper proving she did it , and possibly a creepy stalker boy who wouldn't leave her alone for many months.

Alya looked at her friend and shook her head. "Didn't you say that by the end of your university career that you would have your first kiss? Here you are with only a few months left and still a VL."

Marinette looked up from her design in confusion. "VL?"

"Virgin Lips, Mari please I know…." Alya was cut off by the sound of her ringtone. She pulled out her phone quickly and looked at the message with a mischievous grin.

"Ok Mari how about this, what if it wasn't a 'complete stranger?'"

"What do you mean by that?"

"My boyfriend has someone who's ok with helping out."

"ALYA!" Marinette buries her face in her hands "Why'd you have to drag Nino into this?"

"Because girl desperate times call for desperate measures, think about it. If it's one of Nino's friends, then you know he's not going to be a bad guy. Who knows, you two might even hit it off."

"I mean that doesn't sound AS bad," she says quietly "but I still really don't know about all this…"

"You know what I'll make a deal with you Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Alya had called her by her full name so you know she's being serious. "Do this for me and I'll buy all the fabric you'll need for your projects from now until the end of the semester."

Marinette looked back down to her sketch pad and thought hard. _'Alya is really making this hard to say no'_ she thought to herself. Looking back up to Alya she stared directly into her eyes. "Any and all of the fabric?"

Alya practically squealed "So I take that as a yes?"

"Well you made and offer that is almost impossible to turn down. What the heck let's do it."

Alya is literally bouncing up and down as she pulls her phone back out and sends a quick text. "There we go, it's set in stone so no turning back now, if you do there will be a punishment."

"And what might that be?"

"Let's just say you would have to become an 'Ultimate Panther' instead."

Marinette's face instantly flushed to the thought of that horror. "No thank you! I think I'd rather kiss a complete stranger that get arrested while completely naked."

As Alya laughed at her friends terrified reaction, a few streets over Nino pulled out his phone and grinned while turning to look at the blond sitting next to him.

"Looks like we're all set to go for tonight Adrien."

Adrien looked at his friend in utter defeat. "Remind me why I agreed to kiss a stranger again?"

"Well because it's either that or becoming an 'Ultimate Panther' bro."

"Oh right, the punishment card, I just hope this girl doesn't end up completely hating me after this."

"Trust me man, Alya and I don't think that will be the case."


	2. Chapter 2: First Meeting

Chapter 2

It was almost midnight, the crowd in the center of campus was slowly getting larger, all Marinette could do at that moment was pace back and forth with Alya watching her.

"Why did I agree to this? What if I mess this up? What if I trip up the steps? What if he ends up hating me? What if…"

"Girl, you're my best friend and all but you need to calm down." Alya's eyes were closed as she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Making yourself worry like this will only make things worse."

"But I don't even know this guy! You're doing this with Nino who you are in fact dating and I have to do it with someone I don't even know. I don't even know what he looks like!"

"It's not like you'll be meeting him as you step up on the podium, you'll be able to get to know him beforehand. And besides, he is one of Nino's roommates so I've met him before, you've got nothing to worry about."

Marinette turns and looks at Alya, "Why do I feel like you're not telling me everything? You're planning something, aren't you?"

Alya looks at her with the mischievous gleam in her eye that Marinette knows all too well, of course there was a plan involved.

"You are absolutely crazy Alya, maybe I won't play your game anymore and just head home."

"May I remind you of the punishment if you do? The panther statue is right over there after all, I could even hold your clothes if you wanted."

Marinette instantly froze, she had completely forgotten about the punishment! There was absolutely no way that she was getting on that thing naked.

"That's what I thought Mari, now will you behave and stop pacing already?"

Marinette droops in defeat. "Fine but you can't go back on your end of the deal either. I hope you've got enough in your account for all my projects." She looks up at Alya with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Why do you think I offered in the first place? The University Paper pays me more than enough and that internship I just started will cover all my personal needs."

They chat for a little while longer as the time draws closer. All at once Alya looks past Marinette and smiles.

"There you are Nino it took you two long enough."

Marinette turns to look at and instantly runs into someone's chest. She looks up to apologize but as she opens her mouth to speak she freezes because all she can see is green. She had seen green eyes before but never this green, only one thought came to her head as she looked into them.

 **Adrien's POV**

Nino and Adrien finally make their way over to the center of campus, Adrien's mind is full of panic as he sees how many people are already there.

"Getting cold feet bro? The panther statue is waiting if you bail out." Nino looks over at him with an evil look.

"Not on your life am I doing that. I'm just…. nervous is all."

"I told you man, you've got nothing to worry about. This girl is one of Alya's roommates and she seems pretty cool."

"If you've met her what haven't you told me about her? Why does this feel so secretive and oh my heck you're planning something aren't you?!"

Adrien has known Nino for a long time, why the realization only just hit him, he'll never know.

Nino effortlessly brushed the question aside, "Like I said, nothing to worry about. Oh, I see Alya, let's make our way over."

The butterflies in Adrien's stomach only worsened as they got closer. As Alya saw them Adrien directed his gaze to the girl she had been talking to. Her back was turned to them but she had dark hair that almost looked blue that brushed past her shoulders. As they stopped behind the girl, Alya smiled and spoke.

"There you are Nino, it took you two long enough."

Only then did Adrien realize he was standing too close to this girl as she spun around and her face made contact with his chest. He looked down to apologize only to freeze when his eyes met blue. The most beautiful blues eyes he had ever seen. Only one thought came to mind as he tried to find words to say.

' _Oh crap she's really cute'_

 **Marinette's POV**

' _Oh crap he's really cute.'_ This is all her mind was thinking as she looked up at him. Why was her mind freezing up? She really had to say something so why were no words coming to her head. ' _come on girl focus!'_

"I…. um….. ah… s-sorry!" were the words she finally managed to stutter out as she stepped back. _'Wow smooth Marinette, making a fool of yourself in front of a really hot guy! Might as well just crawl in a hole and die…..'_

He continued to look down at her and took his hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he finally spoke "N-no it's my fault. I was standing too close and all"

' _Oh no even his voice is attractive! Why did Alya do this to me? I don't know if I can take this!'_

Alya interrupted her thought process as she spoke.

"Well I guess introductions are in order. Marinette this is Nino's roommate Adrien. Adrien this is Marinette."

Adrien… where had she heard that name before?

Just then a loud voice rung out over the crowd. A lone girl with short, bright red hair stood on top of the podium with a mic in hand.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to True Panther Night! Who's ready to let the fun begin?"

The crowd cheered at these words. Marinette blushed thinking about what she was about to do. She took a quick glance over to Adrien. Was he…. blushing too?

"Well then everyone, you know how this works, those who are participating form a line next to the steps and let's begin!"

 **(AN) Who's ready for the kiss? I know I am! If anyone is wondering why I chose a panther as the school mascot there are two main reasons, the first is to pay homage to the Animan episode, the other has to do with the 'Ultimate' tradition. About that tradition yes that does really exist and yes people have been arrested doing it here. We just have a different animal statue that people have done it on. Big thanks to those already following this story. If anyone has any suggestions or questions, feel free to comment, or just comment for the heck of it. I'll post the next chapter when it's done so sit back and enjoy the ride.**

 **~Imperial**


	3. Chapter 3: The Kiss

At 12:47 AM, Marinette Dupain-Cheng would have her first kiss. These are the moments leading up to it.

12:00 AM

"… _and let's begin!"_

As soon as the girl finished speaking, music started to play from a speaker next to the podium. The crowd shifted and started to form the line as the red head had instructed. Marinette and Adrien were practically dragged and ended somewhere in the middle of the line. Nino and Alya had positioned themselves in front of the other pair for reasons only they knew. Just then the first couple stepped up to the podium and True Panther Night began.

The two watched in silence for a few minutes, both unable to think of anything to say. At one point Marinette looked over to Alya as if pleading for help, before anything could be done Adrien finally spoke.

"So, um… have you done this before?" he mentally kicked himself after realizing what he had said. _'Smooth Agreste….. Why would I say that? This is not how you start a conversation with someone!'_

"What? N-no this is my first time even seeing this event."

"Oh really? Mine too."

The awkward silence had returned, somewhat feeling thicker than before.

Alya and Nino knew at this point that if they didn't do something, this would all end in disaster.

Rather loudly, as if trying to get their attention, Nino talked to Alya.

"Hey Alya, can I just say that you look amazing in that outfit."

"Why thank you Nino, it's actually one of Mari's creations." She turns her gaze to Marinette and gives the girl a subtle wink.

Adrien looks at her in amazement. "You made that?"

"Y-yeah! I designed both Alya's and my outfits. I'm a fashion design major so it was one of my projects."

"That's amazing! You're really talented Marinette."

Marinette couldn't help but blush at this statement, it was always nice to receive praise on her work.

"Thank you, it really means a lot. So, what's your major?"

"Physics, which definitely isn't as cool sounding as yours, but I guess you could say that I am one with the force, and that the force is with me."

"Physics? Wow I wish I'd known you when I took….. wait a second you did not just quote Star Wars."

"Maybe I did." A crooked smile appeared on his face that was almost cat-like

Marinette turns to look at Alya. "Alya I've changed my mind, this guy's a huge nerd."

"Am I hearing this from the girl who can quote the entirety of the first Harry Potter movie by heart?"

Adrien looks at Marinette again, that cat-like grin still on his face. "So, I'm the only huge nerd huh?"

"Oh hush you, there was a perfectly good reason for that."

"And that being?"

The ice had finally broken between them, for the next while they jumped from topic to topic, discussing favorite movies and games and many other things as the line in front of them grew shorter and shorter.

It was now around 12:44, they were now very close to the front of the line when silence fell over the pair again. Marinette's face turned red at the thought of what she was about to do, unbeknownst to her Adrien's face was a very similar shade of red while he was having the same thoughts.

Only about ten couples in front of them now. Marinette felt Adrien's hand reach for hers. She looked up to him to see a reassuring smile which only caused her racing heart to beat faster.

Nino and Alya were up now. They made their way up the steps and onto the podium. The crowd cheered for them as they had with all the other couples as the two met for a quick kiss. They somewhat rushed off the stage while Alya quickly pulled out her phone, staring evilly at Marinette while doing so. It was finally their turn….

Somewhat slowly they made their way up those four steps and onto the podium. Adrien turned to look at her. He could tell that she was just as nervous about this as she was.

"You ready?"

' _Wait what did he just say? This is so bad….. What if I mess this up what if… no… you can do this Marinette! Just do it already!'_

Before Adrien could react, Marinette grabbed his shirt and pulled him down.

Their lips met…..

Warmth….. warmth was the first thing that came to her mind as her lips molded to his. Her eyes were closed so she had no idea how he was reacting. Had she messed up? Without warning, she felt him shift. He was kissing her back! His hands came up to cup her cheeks as the kiss was slightly deepened.

Time froze around them. Marinette melts as she moves her arms to wrap around his neck. Something had clicked between the two of them and the crowd could tell.

In total the kiss lasted only about 10 seconds. They were brought back to reality quickly by the sound of the crowd's cheers. Realizing that there were still people waiting for their own turns, they reluctantly pulled away. Both obviously wanted more as they stared into each other's eyes.

So, at 12:47 AM, Marinette Dupain-Cheng had her first kiss.

And it was amazing…..

 **Man, was that fun to write! Would have had it out sooner but I was hit by writer's block when trying to write the dialog last night so I had to stop. I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can. Won't be as fast though because I was only able to get these last few out quickly with it being the weekend, I am in school and all but I'll make sure to get another update out THIS WEEK! Once again, a big thank you to those already following the series, you're all one of the reasons I have gotten these out as fast as I have. Much love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	4. Chapter 4: The Morning After

For the texting bits…. Enjoy!

Adrien

 _ **Marinette**_

Marinette woke up too early the next morning, opening one bleary eye she looked at her phone, 8:28. She groaned and turned around to try and get at least a little more sleep. Unfortunately for her all the memories from last night came flooding back to her.

Last night honestly felt like a dream. The kiss had been on a constant loop in her head until she finally went to sleep around 3:30 in the morning. After said kiss occurred nothing too exciting happened, they made their way of the podium to receive the slips to prove they had participated from the red-head from the beginning as well as a rather bored guy with black hair. Marinette couldn't help but notice the look the girl gave her as they walked away. After that the group of four chatted for about another hour or so until Alya dragged Marinette away complaining about how tired she was. They made their way back to the apartment and both got ready for bed. Only when Marinette had turned off the lights and settled into her bed did she realize that they hadn't exchanged phone numbers. That kept her up for another hour as she mentally kicked herself over and over again for her stupidity.

Knowing she wasn't getting any more sleep at this rate, she slowly made her way to get ready for the day, being as quiet as possible to avoid waking up the other three people who live in her apartment. It at least was a Saturday so there weren't any classes, but if she was getting up at this ungodly hour she at least was going to get her homework done.

By the time noon rolled around, she had finished almost all her assignments and one of her projects. The nice thing about it being her senior year at the University was that the homework she had didn't take as long as it used to. She was about to start working on another project when she heard her phone vibrate. Putting down her sketchbook she grabs her phone to find a message from an unknown number.

'Good morning! I guess it's afternoon now, but how are you doing? '

Puzzled, she started to type a response when her phone abruptly buzzed again.

'I forgot to mention, this is Adrien. Sorry if I confused you….. '

She smiled at this, deleting the confused message she was about to send and sent a quick reply.

' _ **It's all good, how'd you get my number by the way?'**_

It didn't take long for him to reply.

'Got it from Nino.. who got it from Alya. Definitely more difficult than getting it from you last night xD'

' _ **Yeah sorry I should have asked you last night, that was my bad…'**_

'No I should have asked you…. But hey at least we have each other's numbers now, by the way you didn't answer my question earlier '

' _ **I'm doing good, didn't get too much sleep last night though… but how about you?'**_

'I'm feline pretty good myself, don't worry I didn't get a lot of sleep either.'

' _ **A pun… really? You're such a dork….'**_

'Don't hate on my su-purr-b puns, you know you like it xD'

They continued like this for a while, back and forth just chatting. Marinette rolled her eyes quite a few times as Adrien continued to chat to her with puns. Out of nowhere Adrien asks her a question.

'So are you free at all this next week?'

Marinette felt her heart begin to race, which definitely was weird since she's already kissed this guy.

' _ **I'm pretty much free every day in the evenings.'**_

'Purrfect, you wanna go see a movie with me? You don't have to say yes if you don't want to though..'

' _ **No no of course I would like to go!'**_

'Great! Does Tuesday work with you?'

' _ **Sounds good to me, see you then**_ _ **'**_

After their conversation ended, she added him to her phone, just for fun she added the cat emoji to the end of his name. As she got back to her work all she could think about was how excited she was for Tuesday.

 **Shorter chapter this week! Definitely was hard finding time to write with two exams and a handful of assignments I had to worry about but I kept my word and got this to you guys this week thanks to caffeine and cookies. Also fun little tid-bit for you guys I went on a pun-spree with some of my mod-friends today that Chat Noir would've been proud of. Clawful puns left and right if you know what I mean. XD**

 **Keep your eyes out tomorrow, got something planned but I'm not going to say anything except for a hint so if you wanna guess feel free! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to March my way outta here.**

 **Much love!**

 **~Imperial**


	5. Chapter 5: First Date

**Y'all know how this works by now, AN at the end with some special stuff involved.**

 ***Boop***

"Alllllyaaaaaaa…"

"Hold still for a little longer! It's almost done!"

"We're seeing a movie, not going to a big party."

The two friends had been going at each other like this for the last few hours. It only made the wait feel longer for Marinette. Ever since he had initially asked her these last few days felt like they would have dragged on forever.

"No matter the occasion there's no excuse for looking hot! I just wish Rose and Juleka still lived with us, getting you ready would have been a lot easier.

Alya did have a point. Juleka was in beauty school and could work wonders. Originally their apartment had been the six close friends but at the end of last semester, Rose and Juleka had moved out to find a place together. Mylene and Alix were still great roommates, but not exactly makeup artists.

After a few more touches Alya finally finishes and admired her work and with that Marinette was finally allowed to look. Thankfully she had left the makeup simple. It didn't stand out but you could still tell it was there. Alya had also lightly curled her hair which worked with the look. Marinette was at least allowed to pick out her own outfit. The blue blouse she had made herself went perfectly with the form-fitting black jeans.

As the two looked over the work Alix burst into the room. Her eyes sparking with excitement.

"A car just pulled up, I think your Prince Charming has arrived." She grinned mischievously with a wink.

Marinette couldn't help but roll her eyes at these words. She was about to reply with her own sarcasm when a knock was heard. Her stomach dropped as all the worry and panic that had slowly disappeared over the last few days come flooding back in an instant.

She was still frozen as Alix practically pulled her out of the room as Alya made her way to the door. Before Marinette could pull herself together Alya had opened the door to reveal a very nervous Adrien. Time somewhat froze as they both saw each other. Neither knew how long they just stood their gaping at each other. They were brought back to reality when Alya cleared her throat.

"Well then! Have fun you two don't be out too late!"

Alix took that as the signal to push Marinette out the door. Before the door closed Alya gave Marinette a not-so-subtle wink. Adrien and Marinette awkwardly stood there for a second, not too sure about what exactly just happened. Adrien was the first to speak out of the two.

"So, shall we go?"

"Oh! Y-yes of course!"

Luckily the silence and nervousness didn't last too long. Before they knew it, they were chatting as they had the last time they had seen each other. The playful banter soon followed. This continued as they made it to the theater. As they waited in line they couldn't help but notice two somewhat familiar faces in the crowd.

"Aren't those the two who were in charge of True Panther Night?" Marinette said as she looked up at Adrien.

"Yeah, you're right, they're in charge of all of them actually. What were their names again…. If I remember right it was Tikki and Plagg."

"Tikki and Plagg?"

"Not their real names but for some reason that's what everyone calls them."

Unbeknownst to Marinette and Adrien, the pair they were talking about had already noticed them. Tikki of course couldn't be more excited at seeing those two together again. While Plagg could care less and was too busy thinking about the cheese he was smuggling into the movie.

Adrien and Marinette were able to score seats on the back row in the middle. Not only was that Marinette's favorite spot but it was Adrien's as well. They only had to wait a few minutes before the lights dimmed and the movie began.

Marinette couldn't focus on the movie. Sure, she was technically 'watching' it but if you asked her what the plot was all you would get was a blank stare. The parts she at least was able to pay attention to were nice though. Around the half way mark she unconsciously reached out to grab Adrien's had. Neither said anything of course but in the dark room both were smiling and blushing. The movie finished pretty quickly and soon they were heading back. Another blink and they were back on her doorstep.

"Well" Adrien said with the cutest smile, "I had fun tonight."

Marinette couldn't help but smile back, "I had fun too."

"So, before I go I have to ask, do you have any plans for Valentine's day next week?"

Marinette's eyebrow raised as she gave him a look. "As a matter of fact I do not."

"Perfect! I mean….. do…. Do you want to hang out? I mean you don't have to if you don't want but…." He started to ramble nervously until Marinette cut him off.

"Adrien… I would love to."

"Really! Great, do you want to hang out at my place? Or we could do it here if you'd like that more."

"We can plan it out this week Kitty don't worry."

A cat-like smirk appeared on Adrien's face. "Kitty huh? I'll have you know I'm a full-grown cat."

"Oh really? You don't act like it sometimes."

They stared each other down until they both cracked at the same time and burst into laughter. All seriousness they tried to portray had instantly vanished.

Their eyes met again, slowly, ever so slowly they moved closer together. Adrien reaching up to cup her face with this hands. Marinette was about to close her eyes when she caught the slightest movement from the other side of the window. She knew exactly what was going on and quickly put a finger on Adrien's lips. He opened his eyes in confusion before she spoke.

"Sorry Kitty, but it looks like we've got some unwanted spies."

She flicks her eyes to the window and Adrien understands immediately.

"Ah, you're right though that would ruin the moment."

To make up for the missed opportunity, Marinette quickly kissed Adrien's cheek before making her way to open the door.

"See you next week Adrien." She says with a wink.

Blushing, he bids goodnight and heads back to his car.

Only after Adrien got in the car did Marinette open the door to find the expected scene before her. Alix and Alya in their pajamas on the couch right next to the window. Alya had her phone in her hand in what looked like the camera option. She was quickly greeted with shouts.

"Girl! Why did you do that! It was so close!"

Marinette couldn't help but glare at her roommates.

"I only stopped because I saw the unwanted attention we were receiving."

"Come oooonn! It was getting so good!" Alix said with disdain

"Sorry guys, if you want to see stuff like that, we do have plenty of romantic movies you could choose from."

Alya returns the glare at this remark. "You're the worst sometimes you know, right?"

Marinette grinned mischievously at this. "I know but I also know that you both want details about the date and because of the stunt you two pulled you won't be getting any information until tomorrow."

"Marrrriiiiiiii"

 ***Boop***

 **Gotta love the roommate block am I right? Come now don't look at me like that, I finally properly involved Tikki and Plagg so you at least have that.**

 **So, I had something else originally planned for the movie date, but then I realized something. Next Tuesday is Valentine's day….. And it's perfect because Season 1 also comes out on Netflix that day. So, I thought I would get this one out quickly so I can release another chapter on that day, and man do I have something planned for that, heh heh *starts maniacally laughing to self***

 **Ahem…. So anyways, look out for that next week. For those who read my other series I'll have a chapter out later this week since nothing will change for that. ALSO I just want to address one more thing. I am so happy with how people are liking this series and the support it's getting. You guys liking it as you do has only made writing this story more fun and it wouldn't be as it was without you. So, until next time prepare yourselves, Valentine's Day is coming…..**

 **~Imperial**


	6. Chapter 7: Interlude

A lone couple makes their way down the street to a well-known café hand in hand. They don't look suspicious by any means, but their minds were racing. It takes a few minutes but they finally get a table and wait to order. The man is the first to speak.

"So, have you gotten anything out of her yet?"

"Not a word, and it's driving me crazy! All she does is brush off the topic."

"My man Adrien is the same, you should have seen them when I walked in. Something definitely happened and they're refusing to say a single word."

The two sighed. Ever since Marinette had returned from that date on Valentine's Alya had been bombarding her with questions, especially after noticing her trying to hide some not-so-subtle marks on her neck. Alya had been unsuccessful on getting anything and it was clear that Nino was in the same boat as well.

"Well I guess we at most can say that they like each other. We might just have to wait until they want to tell us." Alya hated to say that. Her reporter side wanted to keep pushing them until they finally broke but that idea might get them nowhere.

"You have a point, but look at it this way babe. So far, our original plan has been completely successful."

Both grinned at the thought. They had been planning since December to get the two together. True Panther Night had given them the perfect opportunity to do so.

It had all started when Nino introduced Alya to Adrien when they had first started dating. Alya could tell quickly that he and Marinette would make a good couple and thus the scheming began. Nino jumped on board quickly soon after meeting Marinette himself. The fact they had even made it as far as they had made them both ecstatic.

"So, what should we do now?" Nino asks this with a mischievous look in his eye.

Alya sits and thinks for a minute before deciding on a plan. "We back off a bit but still find ways for them to get together. It shouldn't be too hard since we now have some back up."

Nino can't help but be somewhat confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, yesterday I was notified by a certain red-head who was there that night that she wants to help in any way she can. She's even going to drag her boyfriend along to help."

"So, there are more of us that want to see them together now…. Well that'll definitely make things easier on our parts."

"That's right, this said girl also gave me an idea for the next step. Shall we give it a shot?

Nino grins at his girlfriend. "Of course, they'll be together in no time."

Alya smiles with that wicked gleam in her eye that Nino loves. "Perfect, then let us commence phase two of Operation Adrinette."

 **So obviously, it's a shorter chapter this week. I did this because I wanted to have a sort of in between chapter before we continue on. I have a plan for this series, now it's just the issue of getting it on paper. Don't know how many more chapters this story will have so we'll just have to wait and see. Just so y'all know I have some exams these next two weeks but I will still try to get the next chapter to you all on time. Before I go I just wanna say one more thing. MiraculousFanForever your comment is literally my favorite thing because if I wasn't the one writing this series, my reaction would've been the exact same.**

 **Lots of love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	7. Chapter 8: An Opportunity

**(A/N) soooo um…. Hi…. Before you start asking where I was I have some reasons for not posting last week. #1. I had midterms last week which made my life a nightmare. #2. Since I posted the last chapter I have had the WORST case of writer's block for this series and only got out of it a few days ago. So, that's why you guys didn't have anything last week. But I do have some good news before we jump back into it. It's spring break this week and I plan on posting something every weekday since I have plenty of time to write for both series. Sort of my way of making up for not posting at all last week. So, now that that's out of the way let's get right into it! This chapter is focused on introducing the final sort of story arc to this series so here we go!**

 ***boop***

Marinette sighs in relief as she exits a classroom. She just finished taking her last midterm and now could take it easy from now until the end of Spring Break. She shivers as she steps outside, for it being called 'Spring Break' it isn't exactly spring weather quite yet. She can't help but yawn as she makes her way home. Between midterms and projects this last week Marinette was way more exhausted than usual. At least she could catch up on sleep this next week as well as get some personal projects done. In fact, Marinette decided as soon as she gets home she's going to her room to pass out for a few hours.

Sadly for her this wasn't the case. As Marinette opens the door she sees Alya sitting on the couch talking to a somewhat familiar red-head. Alya turns and smiles as Marinette closes the door.

"Ah, there you are girl, we were just talking about you. I know you haven't been properly introduced so Marinette meet Tikki, Tikki this is Marinette."

For Marinette, this is the first time she gets a proper look at Tikki. Her dark red hair is cut short to just past her earlobes. Her blue eyes are warm and are shining with kindness. She was wearing a simple black shirt with a sweater the same color as her hair over that. Tikki nods at her and speaks in a high, sweet voice.

"Hello Marinette, it's nice to meet you properly."

Marinette smiles and returns the nod. "It's nice to finally meet you too."

With introductions were out of the way Marinette couldn't help but notice the randomness of the meeting. _'Why do I feel like Alya is up to something…'_ Marinette thought to herself. It had been a few weeks since the whole Valentine's thing and she had been punishing Alya by not telling her anything about it. She knew that this would come back to bite her in the long run, but it had been fun nonetheless to mess with her. Well she should at least hear why Tikki is here before assuming anything. Alya speaks up with a rather innocent smile.

"Tikki was just telling me about something I think you would really be interested in." Marinette can't help but raise an eyebrow at her friend.

"That's right, I've been told Marinette, that you are a fashion design major and that you'll be graduating. Well, I'm here to tell you about an opportunity that happens every year."

Tikki reaches into a bag next to her and grabs a flyer, handing it to Marinette. Both Tikki and Alya look at Marinette with anticipation as she silently reads what's on it.

 _ **15**_ _ **th**_ _ **ANNUAL CHARITY MASQUERADE**_

 _ **$5 students/$15 others**_

 _ **COSTUME CONTEST**_

 _ **Win a chance to work with a big-name designer!**_

"I'm pretty sure you've heard about it, I would be surprised if none of your professors have talked about it. It's always been a great opportunity for aspiring fashion designers."

Marinette nods silently at this, reading the flyer over and over. Her thought process quickly interrupted now by Alya.

"Think about it Mari, this would really help you for after graduation. Getting yourself out there like this will give you the edge you need."

Alya did have a good point. This would be an amazing opportunity to get her name out there. She looks up and nods. The other two seem quite happy with this response. Tikki was the first to speak up.

"Perfect! I'll email you the rules and other details when I get home. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch."

As Tikki left Marinette was left to her thoughts. As great as this opportunity would be she couldn't help but notice the randomness of the visit. As well as the fact that both Tikki and Alya had seemed rather eager to get Marinette to do this. She was thinking about questioning Alya about it more until the exhaustion that had left during that conversation quickly returned. She was way too tired to even care at this point about anything except for getting some sleep.

Tikki had stayed true to her word after she left though. Later that evening Marinette woke to an email with the specifics for the contest. She apparently has to design an outfit for herself and another person of the opposite sex. _'That doesn't seem too bad, I bet I could have Adrien help me out with this.'_ The only real problem she sees is figuring out what to do for it. She doesn't really have any designs that stand out in her sketchbook so that makes the issue slightly bigger. The masquerade is in a month which is less time than she was hoping for but she can work with it. All she can really do right now is ask Adrien to come with her to this and get his measurements.

 ***boop***

 **So yes, there is going to be a masquerade in this story. I've actually been planning this for quite a while, the issue was introducing the idea and getting it written down. Like I said at the beginning I'll be posting something every weekday for both series so keep your eyes out for that. Lots of love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	8. Chapter 9: An Unexpected Encounter

**(A/N) Woohoo 50 followers! You guys are the best! Let's get right into it.**

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Nothing…..

Absolutely nothing…

Of course when she needs to be creative no ideas come to her head.

Marinette has been glaring at the same blank page of her sketchbook for quite a while now. She has tried almost all of the usual methods to get out of the standstill, but none have worked so far. At this point, there was only one more thing to try. Get up and go out for a walk.

Groaning she stands up and makes herself at least presentable enough to be seen in public. Grabbing her phone, she shouts to Alya letting her know she's going out as she gets to the door. She takes a deep breath and heads outside.

Luckily it was a nice day today. The sun was out and the sky was clear unlike it had been the last few days. Perfect weather to walk around and get inspiration. Marinette sighs as she heads off in a random direction and begins to think. Adrien's outfit she had figured out yesterday after he had sent her multiple funny cat pictures for no reason. It was hers that she had no clue what to do. The few ideas she had come up with the last few days were quickly scrapped because they weren't what she was looking for. She still had a while to get it done but it will be better to have it out of the way now rather than later. There just has to be something out here that can push her in the right direction.

About ten or so minutes later she feels someone tap her shoulder. She turns to see a girl her age with red hair and glasses looking at her questioningly.

"Um.. can I help you?"

"Sorry to bother you, but are you Marinette Dupain-Cheng by any chance?"

"Yes I am….."

"Perfect can I have you follow me please."

For some reason, Marinette did as this stranger asked. She took her to a well-known coffee shop in the area. Before Marinette could ask what was going on the strange girl spoke up again, although not to her.

"Chloe, I found her."

' _Wait….. Chloe? Please don't let it be the one I think it is.'_

Unfortunately, it was the one she was thinking of. You would have to be completely new to town to not know who Chloe Bourgeois is. There she sat in all of her infamous glory silently looking at Marinette. Marinette felt herself shrink under Chloe's judgmental gaze for a minute before standing her ground. She was going to stay strong and prepare herself for whatever she decided to say. It felt like she had been standing there for a long time before Chloe finally spoke.

"So.. you're the one Adrien's dating then?"

Out of the many things she thought Chloe would say this was not the first that came to mind. Before she could reply Chloe spoke again.

"You're honestly weren't what I expected."

Marinette couldn't help but get mad at this comment. "Excuse me?"

Out of nowhere Chloe's face changed to one of realization and quickly spoke up. "Sorry I didn't mean it like that! I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

Now Marinette was really confused. She had heard from others that Chloe didn't care if she offended others, and that she actually enjoyed judging others. Why did she seem to mind when addressing Marinette?

"Well don't just stand there! Sit down already, I need to get to know my friend's girlfriend."

"Um…. Ok?"

Why she was sitting with Chloe Bourgeois of all people, she has no clue. She seemed pretty normal, asking about her and things like that. Her best guess was that she was seeing if she was good for Adrien or something like that. Soon though it was clear that their conversation was reaching its end with Chloe standing up checking her phone.

"Alright Marinette I need to tell you something before I go. If you break Adrien's heart in any way that isn't understandable, you'll be dealing with me, and trust me you don't want that happening. You better not use him due to get anything because I will know if you do. I care about Adrien too much for anyone to make him feel like nothing again. Do I make myself clear?"

Marinette looked up a Chloe in surprise, she really hadn't expected that at all. She had a feeling she was saying this from experience. When Adrien had told her his last name she didn't care even if his father was one of her idols. Her feelings for him were more important than things like that. "Of course, and trust me, I have no intention of doing anything like that to him."

Chloe gave her a sincere smile. "Good, you didn't seem the type to do something like that but I still wanted to get my point across. You've been somewhat of a good luck charm for him and it's good to see him this happy again."

With those words, Chloe nodded and left, leaving Marinette still sitting there confused on what had just happened. Slowly she got up and exited the shop. This was definitely not how she was planning for the day to go. With that out of the way though she can get back to why she was originally out here.

No matter what she did that conversation she had was on loop in her head. She should be finding inspiration for her dress but what Chloe had said was still in her mind. I showed that Chloe cared for him as a friend enough to get to know Marinette.

" _You've been somewhat of a good luck charm for him….."_

"… _Good luck charm…"_

"… _ **Good luck charm**_ _….."_

Oh…

OH!

She gasps as ideas flooded into her head. She had to get home now and get these down. She turned around and quickly made her way back. Who knew that the unexpected encounter she had would be the source for her inspiration.

 ***boop***

 **So, I wanted to make Chloe at least more bearable for this story. They are in college now so my thought process is that she's somewhat a better person at this point. She wants Adrien to be happy at this time in their lives and she's not crazy about him because she knows their personalities wouldn't click together. Kinda funny how she is appearing in both of my series in the same week though. Don't know if I'll have her back in this story though unless you guys want her to be. Let me know your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 10: Memories and Plans

**(A/N) Announcements at the end so make sure to stay around for those. This chapter focuses on Adrien so here we go!**

 ***boop***

Adrien smiles and shakes his head as he looks at the new message on his phone. It looks like Chloe met Marinette and decided to let him know that she approves of his girlfriend. He guesses that's a good thing since Chloe has been close friends with him since they were little. They had gone through much together and had decided to keep it just as a friendship a while back. He puts his phone away to try and finish what he was doing before he had gotten the text.

Another text quickly arrives, although this time not from Chloe, but from Marinette. Asking when he is available to get his measurements done. He is quick to send her a reply.

 **Adrien:** I can do tomorrow if that works with you. My schedule is pretty relaxed over the next few days if you can't tomorrow.

 **Marinette:** Tomorrow works, I've got your basic design down if you wanna see it tomorrow.

 **Adrien:** Sounds great! Did you figure out yours yet?

 **Marinette:** Almost, got a few ideas I just need to narrow it down now.

 **Adrien:** Can I get a sneak peek when you decide?

 **Marinette:** Of course not ; ) I want it to be a surprise for you

 **Adrien:** Awwww, purrty please?

 **Marinette:** No Adrien, and that's final

 **Adrien:** fine… :'(

 **Marinette:** Oh stop that, so how's your day been?

They text for quite a while. By the time they stopped the sun had gone down a few hours before. With the promise of seeing each other tomorrow they go back to what they had been originally doing.

He can't help but let his mind wander a bit. It had been a few months now since he and Marinette had met and he couldn't help but smile at the memory. Ever since then she has continued to brighten his days. It had felt like they had known each other for a long time, he could talk with her about anything and everything. He felt like he could just talk with her for hours and never get bored. Just being in the same room as her was enough sometimes. He hadn't been this comfortable with someone in a long time.

This didn't mean there wasn't still room to grow. They still had a long way to go in their relationship, even with what happened on Valentine's. They had both agreed to take it slower from then on which had made them somewhat relieved. Going too fast might have ruined what they had and neither of them wanted that.

At this point he completely gives up on finishing his assignment early and leaves his room. Only to be greeted by an only somewhat familiar face who is currently rummaging around in his fridge.

"Um….. hi?"

The man quickly whips his head around. His black hair is disheveled and his green eyes look at Adrien in surprise which quickly turns to disinterest.

"Hey, got any cheese in this fridge?"

Now Adrien was really confused, why was Plagg here? And why was he asking for cheese of all things?! Plagg quickly realizes why Adrien is making that face.

"Don't worry, Nino needed to show me something and that's why I'm here. He's in his room if that helps. Now will you answer my question?"

"Uh… yeah…"

Just then Nino makes his way out of his room with laptop in hand. Quickly he registers the situation and speaks up.

"Cheese is on the bottom shelf Plagg. Hey their Adrien didn't think you would be coming out of your room anytime soon."

Adrien looks from Plagg to Nino. Sighing in exhaustion he shakes his head and goes back to his room. Hopefully tomorrow can come quickly.

 ***boop***

 **So shorter chapter today as you can see. Like I mentioned yesterday we're getting back to the normal schedule next week so a new chapter of this will be out sometime Tuesday and the next chapter for Marchers will be out most likely Friday. We're getting near the end quickly with a few more chapters left for this story. Bit of fun info for you guys. Once this story is done I've got another one I will start up that I have been planning for quite a while. Don't have a title for it just yet but hopefully I can think of one before I release the first chapter. Who know maybe you guys can help with that. More information for that story to come (and maybe a sneak peek of a rough draft for one of the chapters for those who want it). I'm actually really excited for that one but I'm keeping it at posting for two fanfics so I don't get overburdened with college work.**

 **Anyways as usual Lots of love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	10. Chapter 11: The Dress

**(A/N) Nothing to announce so let's get right into it!**

 ***boop***

It was done…

It was finally done…

After countless hours, multiple almost all-nighters, and unhealthy amounts of caffeine, the dress was finally complete with over a week to spare. She didn't want to think about how many times she had pricked her fingers or how bad her eyes stung at points. After seeing the completed product though it made it all worth it.

She had finished Adrien's suit before even thinking about touching the dress and it was a good thing she did. I didn't take too long to do his which left her plenty of time to focus on hers. He was ecstatic when she called him over to pick it up but still annoyed that he wasn't allowed to see even her dress design. She carefully checks all over for anything amiss, she didn't want to find later a flaw that would accidentally compromise the dress, that's why it was always good to check her works multiple times before the time came.

She takes a step back to get a full picture. The dress was a gorgeous deep scarlet color. A form fitting corset style up top that went down into a princess style skirt. The skirt itself was touched with black spots uniformly spread across it. The straps were in a bateau style which only added to the elegance. She had designed it so she could move around rather easy as well as it not being too heavy. She had thought about adding some beading to the design but quickly changed her mind and that was definitely the right choice. In addition to the dress she had made a matching pair of long gloves that only added to her theme. She had found a pair of what apparently are called kitten heels in black that would not only not take away attention from the dress, but make her evening a little more comfortable than if she was wearing full heels. All she had to do now was the finishing touches of her mask and find some jewelry that complemented the style. The mask was a simple black lace mask. She had been adding red accents and just had a little bit more to go. She had done something similar for Adrien's mask except his had green accents.

She smiles as she walks around it, honestly she doesn't think she has ever worked on something as hard as she did with this. With multiple reasons behind it she didn't want to strive for anything less than perfection. All she wants to do now is try it on to see how it feels. Half way of putting it on she realizes she is going to need help tying up the back. Shouting for Alya she waits a few moments before she walks in the room.

"Alright girl this better be important because I was just….. Oh. My. Goodness. Marinette it looks gorgeous!"

Marinette beams with pride at her words. "Thanks Alya, mind tying up the back for me?"

In an instant Alya is behind Marinette. Slowly Alya tightens it as she goes up making sure not to miss anything to find it fits perfectly on her. Marinette checks it off in her mind as another success for this dress.

"Alright girl, give me a twirl I need to see the full effect for myself."

Marinette spins a few times for good measure and Alya squeals in excitement. She whips out her phone to take a few pictures before Marinette can object.

"Alya you know this going to be a surprise for Adrien."

"Of course, but that doesn't mean I can have a few pictures for myself. It just looks so stunning!"

Marinette smirks at her friend. "Just wait until I have the whole outfit, then it'll be ten times better."

Alya quickly jumps at those words. "Oh I almost forgot! One minute I need to grab something!"

She practically runs out of the room leaving Marinette to stand there confused. She is back quickly with a small black box in hand.

"This is for you, Tikki and I were thinking last week and decided to help you out in a way. Go on, open it up!"

Still confused Marinette quickly obliges. Inside was a pair of simple earrings and a necklace. Upon closer observation, the earrings were red with five small black jewels on them. The necklace was a plain, silver one that would accent the dress easily. Marinette can't help but gasp and look up at her friend.

"These… These are perfect. Oh Alya they match so well! How did you… when did you…"

Alya smiles and laughs before replying. "Well you showed me the design remember? So I talked to Tikki about your theme and she knew exactly the place to find these. Before you ask no they weren't super expensive, but they weren't dirt cheap either."

"Thank you so much!" Marinette quickly pulls Alya into a hug, while trying to keep the dress intact of course.

Alya laughs again and pulls away after a while. "Now I think I know a girl who is major need of some sleep." Marinette quickly tries to say she's fine but Alya continues. "No buts, I know for a fact what your schedule has been for a while, now you are going to sleep or else I will send these pictures to Adrien, are we understood?"

Marinette groans and nods. Alya quickly helps Marinette out of the dress and leaves the room so Marinette can change into pajamas. As she turns out the lights she takes one last drowsy look at the dress and smiles before sleep quickly envelopes her.

 ***boop***

 **This was a really fun chapter to write. Much research went into this on certain dress types and such and I feel like I pulled off the description well. Also funny thing is as I was typing it out I remembered something and went to social media to find I wore a dress similar to Marinette's (excluding the black spots of course as well as a different shade of red) for a Christmas Dance in the days when I was in high school. I didn't mean for that to happen but I definitely laughed when I realized it. Masquerade chapter is up next and that one will be quite a bit longer for sure. There's a lot I want to put in that chapter and I don't want to split it up. So be prepared for that next week!**

 **Side conversation real quick, anyone else watch OUAT? I have to say the second half of the season is leaving me pleasantly surprised so far. If you have seen it let me know your thoughts, without spoiling it for others of course.**

 **As always, Lots of love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	11. Chapter 12: Masquerade

**(A/N) And here we go as promised! Got a little bit of a longer chapter because I have a lot I wanna get in. This is the last main chapter of this series and an epilogue will be out later this week. Let's just get right into it.**

 ***boop***

Marinette is nervous…

Actually, that is an understatement…

Marinette is terrified…

Why she agreed to this competition she has no clue. There was a reason obviously but as she paces back and forth, that reason is not coming to her.

The masquerade itself was in a few hours and here she was, panicking in her room. The dress sitting in the corner waiting for her to put it on.

It wasn't just the contest she was worried about, but there was a part of her worried about Adrien's reaction. She has been so excited for him to finally see it, but what if he hated it? What if all of her hard work was for nothing?

Her thoughts are interrupted when her door slams open. Alya bursts into the room with a rather concerned looking Tikki right behind with a rather large bag in her arms. Alya looks at Marinette and points to her desk chair with a determined look.

"Sit."

"What?"

"We're going to make sure you look good tonight, so sit down."

Before she could refuse, she was guided to the chair and promptly pushed to sit. Both Alya and Tikki walk around the confused girl, throwing some ideas back and forth before Alya leaves to go grab some supplies from her room. Tikki stands in front of Marinette and speaks to her with a sincere smile.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that Adrien can't take his eyes off you."

Marinette can't help but smile back at the red head. She can't help but feel at least a little calmer than how she had been just a few minutes earlier.

Before they can talk anymore Alya comes back in with some of her own hair supplies.

"Alright girl I'm thinking an up-do, sound good to you?"

Marinette promptly nods and Alya gets started. After a while the promised hairstyle is in place. Alya refuses to let her see it until everything is complete. Tikki soon takes her place with make-up in hand causing Marinette to smile at her again.

"Alright Tikki, transform me."

The girl giggles at these words and begins. Touching up her face with practiced ease, but keeping it simple where the mask will lie. They continue to block any mirrors as they stand Marinette up and grab the dress. She is quickly laced up in the back and is at least able to put the mask on herself. As the final touches are put into place, Alya in Tikki step back and look at her in awe. She takes a deep breath and turns towards the mirror.

It's easy to say she is speechless…

She gapes at the girl staring back at her in the mirror. It's almost a little too accurate to what she had thought up in her head. She barely registers the squeals she hears coming from the other two girls in the room. She feels tears form in her eyes but doesn't let them fall.

"It's… It's perfect…"

"I think that Adrien is gonna pass out when he sees you."

.

The mentioned boy was only a few streets away having his own mild freak out. He had looked at himself in the mirror at least fifteen times in the last three minutes. Every time he checked to make sure that there were no wrinkles or anything out of place. He was leaving in a few minutes and the panic was slowly getting worse. Nino had given up trying to calm him down after a while since it appeared that no matter what he did or said, Adrien acted the same.

He looks up and down the cat-themed suit. From the little black ears nestled into his hair, to the straight black suit with a green vest, to the belt tail attached to his waist. With every move he makes there was a little chime from the golden bell nestled where a tie is usually placed. He looks back up to his face to nervously adjust the dark mask yet again, his green eyes standing out against the black material.

He wasn't going to get anywhere now with pacing. With one last look in the mirror, he grabs his keys and leaves his apartment. The drive over to Marinette's place is a short one which really doesn't help his nerves. He pulls up and makes his way up to the door only to be stopped right next to his car by Alya's voice.

"Adrien Agreste don't move! We want to do this reveal right!"

Knowing it's best to listen to Alya, he stands there nervously waiting. This is it. This is really going to happen. He's finally going to see the project she has been working on the last few weeks. Alya comes down the steps, phone in hand pointing towards him obviously filming. His attention turns back to the door as he sees movement.

His breath hitches, eyes widening at the sight of the dress, at the sight of _her…_

She comes out rather nervously, her eyes fully focused on him and his reaction. He takes in the full effect slowly.

 _She looks good in red, she looks really good in red_

Her face is slightly tinged pink as he stares at her, frozen. She makes her way down to him slowly, ignoring the quiet giggles coming from Alya. As she reaches him, she looks up at him expectantly.

"Shall we go?"

That seems to bring him out of his daze. Nodding very quickly, he jumps to open the door for her, smiling as she settles in. He closes the door and makes his way over to his side to be interrupted by Alya yet again.

"Have fun you two, and don't stay out too late." She winks at him and heads back into the apartment.

Knowing they have somewhere to be, Adrien quickly gets in the car. As he looks over to Marinette, he can't help but blush at her and he receives a rather similar blush in return. The car ride is rather silent due to them both not knowing what to talk about. In a matter of minutes, they pull up to the hotel that the masquerade is being held. Marinette goes to open her door only to be stopped by Adrien. He quickly exits the vehicle and walks around to her side to open the door and stretches a hand out.

She can't help but shake her head at him but she still accepts his hand as she steps out. Looking up to his very common cat-like grin, she returns his smile as they enter the building.

The lobby is covered in decorations clearly matching the theme. In the center of the room there is a table that has the competition information. Marinette gets signed in quickly and they make their way to the ballroom.

There were quite a few people already there, dancing to the live classical music being played. Adrien turns to her offering his hand.

"Shall we dance My Lady?"

Reluctantly she takes his hand and he leads her to the dance floor.

"I have to warn you I'm not exactly a good dancer."

"I've always heard that you just need the right _pawtner_."

Her eyebrows raise at these words. "You're going to be doing this all night, aren't you?"

"But of course My Lady! I have the _purrfect_ opportunity to give _mew_ a _pawsome_ evening."

She groans at him and he can't help but continue.

"What? Am I _bugging_ you My Lady?"

"First of all that was awful, second, what's with the whole 'My Lady' thing?"

"Well it's a lot easier to say than My Ladybug right? Plus you are my lady are you not?"

She chuckles and shakes his head at him. She hadn't realized they had been dancing during the conversation. She was surprised to find herself doing decently and hadn't once stepped on his feet.

For the next hour or so they switch from dancing, to walking around, to even just sitting down and talking. There is a call for all the contestants to head to a separate room and the nerves that Marinette had forgotten about from earlier returned with full force. Adrien picks up on this as they stand in the line and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. She looks up to him and sees the warm sincere smile on his face.

"Don't worry Marinette, you did amazing, if they don't see that then they're blind."

The line continues to get shorter and shorter. Each contestant leaving the room one by one. There were mixed faces from those leaving the room from pure joy to utter disappointment.

It was finally their turn. Adrien squeezes her hand again as they enter the room. It's a rather small room with only one other person inside. Marinette feels Adrien freeze and straighten suddenly. Confused, she looks over and understands why he had froze.

There in the center of the room stood the one and only Gabriel Agreste. Marinette felt her breath hitch as the serious man looked back and forth from her to Adrien. He raised a single eyebrow before speaking.

"You must be Miss Dupain-Cheng, I have heard many things about you both from Adrien as well as the teachers at the university."

Marinette couldn't help but feel speechless. She wasn't surprised that Adrien had talked about her, but her professors as well? Feeling a subtle nudge from Adrien, she quickly replies to him.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you sir."

"Likewise, now with greetings out of the way we will get started." He gestures Adrien to come forward. He does so as he has done this numerous times and let's Gabriel study his suit. He is silent as he walks around, taking in every detail of her design. Satisfied with his observations he beckons Marinette forward.

She stands perfectly still as he now walks around her. She feels like she wants to shrink from his gaze. She looks over to Adrien to receive a reassuring smile.

"What was your reasoning when it came to designing these two outfits?"

She is brought back quickly when Gabriel asks her a question. His face unreadable as he waits for a reply.

"Oh! Well I was going on the lines of luck I guess. Black cats are often associated with bad luck…"

"And ladybugs with good luck, I see now. Very interesting concept Miss Dupain-Cheng. I believe I have seen enough, you may go out and enjoy the rest of the evening."

With those words said Adrien nods to his father and steers Marinette out of the room. As they are walking back to the ballroom, she turns her head to look up at him.

"Did you know your father was the judge?"

"No he didn't, I don't blame him though. I don't live with him anymore and we really only started to fix our relationship rather recently. I wouldn't worry about it though, usually if he doesn't like something he will point it out. I would take his silence through it all as a good thing."

While he was speaking, they had returned to the dance floor Once again in each other's arms, they make their way around as they had earlier in the evening.

"Really? You really think he liked it?"

"Trust me Marinette, if he hadn't you would have known quite clearly what he didn't like."

She decides to trust him with this. The hardest part of the evening was over and all she had to do now was enjoy herself in the company of the one she loves.

 ***boop***

 **So I hope that it was worth the wait. I was able to get all the detail I wanted to for this chapter. I hope you're all ready for the epilogue coming out soon!**

 **As always, Lots of love to you all!**

 **~Imperial**


	12. Epilogue

**(A/N) Not gonna keep you guys up here for long, just make sure to read the note at the end for VERY IMPORTANT INFO.**

 ***boop***

On one cold January night, under the light of the full moon, the annual True Panther Night was about to begin. For most people in the crowd this was an exciting tradition that happened every month. But for one couple, it was a little more special.

They had met there a little over a year before due to this event. The reason they were back this night was to celebrate the memory of that fateful meeting. Since that night, their relationship had grown into something more special. They had done a lot in the last year together.

The man had watched his girlfriend receive second place in a competition, and the following day receiving an offer from his father for an internship with his company. He had watched her walk across a stage to receive her college diploma. He had also been her date at their two-friend's wedding in September the year before.

For the woman, he had been her greatest support. Whenever she was having a rough time whether it was from finals or one of her projects, he had been there. He could say the same about her. With this being his last semester he needed emotional support from time to time. They were each other's strength. When they were together they felt like they could do anything.

As the festivities began, they chatted quietly for the few minutes they were in line. They had positioned themselves more near the front this time around. Watching other excited couples go up one by one, the nerves that had accompanied them last year were almost nonexistent if it were not for one reason.

It was their turn and he lets her go up the steps first. When she turned to face him, she wasn't expecting him to be holding a microphone…

She didn't expect him to be on one knee…

She didn't expect the ring…

Time froze around her in that moment. Tears welled up in her eye as he spoke for the entire crowd to hear.

"Last year, I met you here, and since then you have only brought me happiness and strength. I can't imagine a life without you. I want to make you as and even more happy than you have made me. So… Marinette Dupain-Cheng… Will you marry me?"

Wordlessly she nodded rapidly, the tears that had formed spilling out. The crowd cheered as he stood up to pull her into a loving kiss. Both were crying at this point as he reached for her hand to slide the ring on.

Some distance away, a married couple stood. Both also had tears streaming down their faces as the female recorded their best friends. Their plan had really come around full circle and they couldn't be happier for the now engaged couple.

 ***sad boop***

 **And that my friends, is the end of True Miraculous Night… What a journey this has been. To think that this was my first ever fanfiction I started to write. Looking back, I can't help but feel happy of the progress this story made. In all honesty, it was originally going to be just the first three chapters, but because of all you lovely people, it formed into something bigger. Thank you for coming along in this story with me.**

 **Before I go I have two more things of importance. First of all I would like to thank some of the kind people who have been following this story. So to panteabooks I say a big thank you for all the love you have shown this series, and I hope you'll enjoy what I have planned in the future. Also to MiraculousFanForever, thank you for making me smile with your amazing reviews. I could keep going and thank everyone one by one but I have a reallllllyy big announcement I wanna get to.**

 **With this story ending I have something new planned, something I have had going around in my head for quite some time. Something I had thought up before any of the other fanfictions I have written. And I think it's time to get it out there. So, next week I hope y'all are ready for a story of magic, a story of curses, and a story that will explore something new. (It would help if I could give you all the title of it but I still haven't decided on a name just yet.) I hope everyone is ready for the prologue and possible chapter one coming to you soon.**

 **With all this said. An ENORMOUS amount of love to you all. And thank you once again for joining me on this journey.**

 **~Imperial**


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